Paralyzed
by Shattered Aura
Summary: After a fight with Darry, Ponyboy walks around town to blow off some steam. He gets in trouble with the toughest gang in the East Side, the River Kings. (Mentioned somewhere in the book) What happens when he is badly injured? Rated T for language. One-Shot, but if you convince me, I'll add another chapter or two.


**A/N: Hey guys!**

**WOW, I'm on a roll! xD I have idea after idea of various stories, and tonight this one popped in my head, and I wrote something up!**

**Summary: After a fight with Darry, Ponyboy walks around town to blow off some steam. He gets in trouble with the toughest gang in the East Side, the River Kings. What happens when he is badly injured?**

**Note:**** This is a One-Shot, for now, but if you convince me to write more chapters, I will! But for now, it stays a One-Shot.**

**Note 2:**** This happens a year after Dally's and Johnny's deaths. They're not mentioned in the chapter, but if you convince me to write a Two-Shot or a Three-Shot, they might be mentioned. You decide! ;)**

**Note 3 (I have plenty of those notes, do I? Don't worry, it's the last one):**** The One-Shot will be in Ponyboy's POV.**

**Disclaimer:**** I sadly don't own The Outsiders.**

**Warning:****Rated T for language. But what's a hood and a greaser without some cussing and swearing? ;)**

**By the way, R & R, please!**

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I was running for dear life. I'm not sure where I would end up, but I hoped it'd be somewhere safe.

How in the hell did I manage to get in trouble, _again?_

Oh, wait, I know; I didn't use my head. Again.

I thought that after everything that happened last year, I'd have learned to use my head. I guess I didn't.

A shot rang through the night, breaking me from my thoughts, and I gasped as a hole appeared on the ground right next to where my feet were, not a second ago.

"Shit!" I swore, dashing as fast as I could in the road in front of me. I knew where this road would lead; to a dead end. The only way to escape was for either someone to see me and the guys with the guns behind me, or to dash straight toward my pursuers, which, in my opinion, would be even more stupid than bad-mouthing them.

Oh yeah, I didn't tell you the reason why those guys were after me, or who they were. It all started like this.

*Flashback*

_I was walking in the streets, alone as usual. I had just gotten in a fight with Darry and I was furious. I needed to blow off some steam a little. I figured the best way to do so was to walk around town and to think of stuff._

_Turning a corner I bumped straight into one of the River Kings' members. I didn't apologize, 'cause a greaser just doesn't do that to a real hood. Instead, I opened my mouth and said: "Watch where ya goin'," which isn't much better._

_"__What'd you say to me, ya little shit?" the guy retorted. Before common sense could cloud my head, I answered. "I told ya to move outta the way. Are ya deaf or what?" And I really shouldn't have. He was beyond furious. He took a step forward. "Why, ya little..."_

_I suddenly realized the mess I was in and I stepped back. _No more Mr. tough guy_, I thought bitterly._

_Another River King appeared. "Hey, ain't that Curtis' kid brother?" he said casually. The one in front of me sneered._

_"__Fuck Darry Curtis, get that kid!" And that's where my instincts kicked in. _Run.

_I ran, and both of them ran after me, but then I noticed something glint in the pocket of his worn down jeans. _Shit, he's carryin' a heater_, I thought, panicked._

_Then I noticed something else. They suddenly weren't only two: they had doubled. There were four after me. The first two ones had a heater and a blade; the third one had a broken pipe in his hands; the forth one had chains in his hands. If they caught me, I'd be in a world of pain. I can't even tell you if I'll end up alive or not after that._

_"__You can't escape us, fucker!" he said, and I couldn't help but retort._

_"__At least I can run faster than ya!" I taunted, and they looked pissed._

_"__Little shit!" he screamed, and it's like their speed increased, just like their anger. Then, the first too pulled out their heaters. They didn't shoot, just pointed at me. I hadn't known they were leading me in their turf, in a dead-end alley..._

*End of flashback*

Another shot rang through the night, and this time, the bullet hit me full on in the back of my right thigh. I screamed in pain and dropped on the ground. We were in the end of the alley anyway, and only a wall of brick was in front of me.

The River Kings ganged up, surrounded me. One of them grabbed me by the bicep and hoisted me to my feet. I groaned as I felt the wound in my thigh throb. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.

"Now ya can't run, eh?" the guy I bad-mouthed said, and then he chuckled. I was so focused on him, that I didn't notice the guy with chains behind me until the chains hit me on my lower back, twice. I full-out screamed; God, it hurt!

Another one grabbed my other bicep, and together, they made me walk, following the remaining two, who were in front of us. I knew where they were taking me; the forest. There's a path that leads almost in the heart of the forest (which ain't that big) right before the alley, and so that's where we went. I figured then that they would beat me in the forest where no one could hear my screams.

"Tie him up," the leader said when we stopped walking, and even though I tried struggling, I just couldn't. They were way too strong for me, and my thigh hurt. So they tied me up, my back against the trunk of a tree, with their chains, which cut slightly through my skin, making me wince.

That's when all hell broke loose.

They kicked my legs and chest and sides, and I instantly knew that I had a couple of broken ribs. They flipped their blades out and cut me on my arms and one of them cut my on my cheek. I would probably have a scar, just like Johnny's.

When they were done with the kicks and punches and cuts, I was surprised that they also hadn't stabbed me. Instead, the leader crouched down in front of me, smirking his face off. I could barely stay awake, let alone glare at him, but I managed to glare.

"Heard ya were a track runner, the best in school." I paled a little. _He wouldn't dare_. But he would.

Without even a warning, the guy with the broken pipe slammed it on my right knee. _Hard._ I screamed so loud, we all heard a rumbling sound, but I didn't really care. The only sound I had heard was the sound of metal hitting bone, followed by a sickening "crack!" God, it hurt so much! I was bawling my eyes out. The leader only chuckled.

"Baby. Can't even fend for himself, has to cry at a little pain. Wellup, that's what happens when you bad-mouth a River King, kid. Don't try it again. Have fun tryin' to run with your leg outta commission for a while." He untied me from the tree and pushed me on the ground. I yelped as my knee hit the ground and cried again.

They were just about to leave when they heard another rumble, followed by another "crack!" This time, it sounded much louder.

A tree came barreling toward us. I couldn't even move, couldn't blink; I could only watch as it fell straight toward me.

The River Kings, who suddenly forgot that they would've left me here to suffer, tried pushing the tree outta the way—instead of pushing _me _outta the way; they weren't the smartest gang in Tulsa—and they almost did. The tree would've flattened me on my side, and probably would've killed me.

They didn't push it far enough; that, or I had long legs, 'cause it fell straight on my right leg.

Hot searing pain shot through my leg first, but then my entire body. I screamed, and my scream was much louder than when they broke my knee with their broken pipe piece. I screamed until no sound escaped my mouth, but my mouth stayed wide open.

I could only stay under the tree, my mouth opened, and even the River Kings seemed sorry for me.

"Billy, find Shepard, or anyone close enough to Curtis' gang. Mike, get help," the leader commanded, and when "Billy" and "Mike" didn't move, still shocked, he roared. "NOW!" They ran like the devil was after them, but I didn't care. All I wanted was the pain to end.

The leader was the first one to notice that my breathing was coming in short gasps.

"Kid, stop that!" he barked. "You're only gonna make it worse." Rage filled me.

"What's it to ya?" I croaked. "You were beatin' me half to death. Ya might as well leave me here to die and your boys might as well have done the exact opposite from what you told 'em to do." I was losing breath. I couldn't hold on under that tree much longer. It hurt so much it even hurt to breathe.

The leader snapped at me. "Christ, kid, you bad-mouthed a River King, you got the trouble you deserved, and now we're back to the "hoods" stick together thing. If ya ain't grateful enough, we can do just that; leave ya to die. Now stay still!" I shut my mouth. I didn't want to make matters worse if I kept bad-mouthing him.

Minutes later, we heard scuffling in the distance. Paramedics were coming, trying to find their way around the many trees. But I had trouble keeping my eyes opened.

I noticed that the River Kings weren't even there anymore. They had either beat it outta here, or hidden, quietly watching the scene.

The paramedics finally reached me, and I fought even more to keep my eyes open, instead breathing in short gasps.

"Jesus Christ, kid, what happened to you?" one paramedic said, and then he turned toward the others. "Get that tree off him!" he barked, and they hurried to get the tree off my legs. I groaned as the weight shifted and the tree was rolled away from me.

The paramedics loaded me on a stretcher and tried figuring out what had happened. "Beaten...screamed...tree...leg..." was all I managed before slipping into unconsciousness.

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"What...hell...to him...?!"

"Will...fine...?"

"Well...injured...leg...poked...prodded...feeling..."

"Wrong...leg...?!"

"Why...you...anything...?"

"Already...could...afraid...wait...wake up...deliver...news...hide...bad..."

Voices woke me out of my deep sleep. I couldn't bring myself to recognize them, and when I tried opening my eyes, it was too bright.

"Ponyboy!"

Ah, now I knew who the voice belonged to. Soda.

"Too bright, Pony?" That voice belonged to Darry. I nodded but cringed when I felt throbbing pain in my head.

I opened my eyes again and inwardly sighed in relief when I noticed it wasn't as bright as before. At first, my vision was hazy, but I felt fine afterward. I could clearly see my brothers hovering over me, clearly worried.

I tried talking, but then I was restrained with something. There was a tube in my mouth. Soda noticed me tense. "Don't worry, Pony. Don't try to talk, the tube's there for breathing. You almost died, kid..." he added shakily, afterward stroking my hair back.

"In fact, he seems to be fine enough to take the tube off and see if he can breathe on his own. Even in his unconscious state, he made progress." He turned to me. "We're gonna take the breathing tube out of your throat, son. Take a deep breath and then we'll take the rube out. It will scratch your throat, and your voice will be hoarse and sore, but you'll be fine." I nodded. He counted to three, and I did as I was told.

He was right, the tube scratched my throat and it kinda hurt. I started coughing, trying to bring in air, and finally it worked.

"You feelin' better now, baby?" Soda asked, and I nodded, slowly this time not to make my head throb.

"Now, it is time we discuss matters, Ponyboy. I was just talking with your brothers about your condition before you woke up," the doctor explained. I cringed.

"Wha-what about it...?" I asked hoarsely, fear creeping up to me.

"Well..." he started, then paused.

**(A/N: I don't feel like putting a cliffy here, you'd strangle me via computer. If that's possible. Anyway, the rest of the One-Shot will be in Darry's POV. Read on!)**

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I barged into the hospital, followed by Sodapop. I quickly asked the receptionist if she had news on my little brother, Ponyboy, and she gave us directions to his room.

As soon as we reached it, the doctor stepped out. He looked surprised to see us there already, but I wanted to know how my brother was.

"Ah, Mr. Curtis, good to see you. I was just waiting for you so I could talk to you about his condition."

"Can't we talk about it in his room?" Soda asked, and I almost slapped him there and then. He was being his impatient self, and I didn't need that.

But, the doctor didn't seem to mind. He smiled at Sodapop. "Of course. Follow me."

And, the second we saw him, I stood there, shocked, my mouth forming a large "o". But Soda was angry.

"What the hell happened to him?!" he said—or rather screamed—at the doctor, and I flinched. Pony looked beaten to death, and that's probably what happened, except without the death part.

"Will he be fine...?" I asked, worried out of my mind. Sodapop calmed down, taking in the fact that Pony did seem bad off.

"Well, he seems to have injured his right leg badly. We poked and prodded numerously, but he apparently has no feeling in it."

"What's wrong with his leg?!" Soda screamed again, ready to pounce on the doctor. I shushed him out and told him to sit down next to Ponyboy while I sorted things out with the doctor. My anger was starting to show.

"Why aren't you doing anything else right now?" I asked in a cold voice. He sighed.

"We already did all we could. I'm afraid we have to wait for him to wake up in order to deliver the news. But, I won't hide it from you; it's bad." Fear clung to me like a child would cling to his mother. I couldn't think of anything except the worse scenarios.

Just as the doctor talked about waking Ponyboy, my little brother woke up on his own. Sodapop cried out for him, and I noticed that Ponyboy wanted to open his eyes, but couldn't because of the brightness of the room.

"Too bright, Pony?" I asked, and I saw him nod, but then he cringed. He looked like his head hurt him, which was a possibility.

I closed the light and watched as he opened his eyes again, this time with no apparent trouble. He blinked a few times and then he finally saw us.

He opened his mouth to speak but he realized that he had the breathing tube in his throat, and he shut it again.

"Don't worry, Pony. Don't try to talk, the tube's there for breathing. You almost died, kid..." Soda told him, and I noticed how it affected him, to see his brother like this. It affected me too, but as usual, I couldn't show how terrified I was to lose him. I could only stay strong for both my brothers, 'cause that was my job.

"In fact, he seems to be fine enough to take the tube off and see if he can breathe on his own. Even in his unconscious state, he made progress," the doctor said, and I sighed. Then, he counted to three, and Pony took a deep breath. The doctor took the tube out of his throat, and Pony started coughing, but I knew it was normal. Soon, he could breathe fine again, without the machine, and I was thankful.

"Now, it is time we discuss matters, Ponyboy. I was just talking with your brothers about your condition before you woke up," the doctor explained. I inwardly cringed, fearing the worse. I knew we would know about his leg, and I was afraid to know.

"Wha-what about it...?" Ponyboy asked, having a bit of trouble speaking with a sore throat, but it seemed to be the least of his worries.

"Well..." the doctor started, but then he paused. He sighed, and looked gravely at Ponyboy. "To start, what happened to your right leg? Do you remember?" he asked. Ponyboy nodded.

"Well...where do I start...?" he asked warily.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?" I said, and Ponyboy flinched. "Alright, but you ain't gonna like it."

"So anyway, after our...argument," he started, and didn't meet my gaze, "I started walking around town to cool down. I bumped into one of the River Kings..."

"Pony!" I interrupted. "What were you doing so close to their turf? They could've beaten you up to death!" He suddenly looked angry.

"Well, they almost did, alright?" he snapped. My eyes slightly widened, but I didn't pay attention. "Now please lemme finish." I nodded.

"So anyway, I didn't see who he was, or else I wouldn't have bad-mouthed him, I swear! I told him to get outta the way, and I told him again and asked him if he was deaf. He started chasing me, and three of his guys chased me too. They shot at me, on the back of my right thigh, and then they hit me two times on my lower back with chains. It hurt so much..." he whimpered. I sat down next to him.

"Sshhh, it's alright baby. What happened next?" He sniffed.

"They dragged me in the forest near where we were, and they tied me up to a tree with the chains. They punched me, kicked my leg—which hurt, mind you—and cut my on my arms. They took the broken pipe piece they had a-and they..."

"They what, baby?" Sodapop asked, but I had a feeling he knew what happened. I did.

"They s-slammed it on my right knee. I screamed so loud, and they called me a baby. They almost left me there, but... I dunno, my scream must've cracked a tree or somethin', 'cause a tree fell on my leg. I screamed so loud, i-i-it hurt so m-much... T-they went for help. I don't remember anything else..."

He was full out crying by now, and it turned into sobs. When we managed to calm him down, he looked worried.

"H-How come I can't feel my leg...?" he asked.

"Well... We examined your leg, and with the bullet wound, knee break and the flattening of the tree, it seemed broken beyond repair," the doctor said, and I tensed. "We managed to extract the bullet, rearrange the knee, but I'm afraid to tell you that your leg was paralyzed from the higher part of the thigh to the end of your toes." Pony gasped, and Soda did too. "I'm sorry to tell you, but you'll never walk again."


End file.
